bombardier beetle

American  

noun

1. any ground beetle of the genus Brachinus, which ejects a puff of volatile fluid from its abdomen with a popping sound when disturbed.

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Etymology

Origin of bombardier beetle

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Last year’s winner, a feral Australian dog called the desert dingo, defeated a Malaysian pit viper, a “solar powered” sea slug, and the bombardier beetle, which squirts its enemies with a caustic, boiling-hot liquid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2018

To better understand the beetle’s defenses, two biologists from Kobe University fed a species of bombardier beetle to two different species of toad collected from forests in central Japan.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2018

If a dragon convergently evolved chemicals that combust upon mixing, like the explosive bombardier beetle, the reaction it harnessed could result in fire…terrible, terrible, fire.

From Scientific American • Jan. 2, 2014

The bombardier beetle isn’t the only organism that takes advantage of hypergolic chemicals; we use them in rocket fuel.

From Scientific American • Jan. 2, 2014

For their latest foray, they have enlisted the aid of a favored if surprising ally: the bombardier beetle, a half-inch insect found near streams and ponds around the world.

From Time Magazine Archive